Door latch



Nov. 29, 1955 J, DO Y 2,725,250

DOOR LATCH Filed May 24, 1952 IN VEN TOR. (JOSEPH P. F/EDORCZ YK A TTOPNEYS 2,725,250 Patented Nov. 29, 1955 DOOR LATCH Joseph P. Fiedorczyk, New Britain, Conn., assignor to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application May 24, 1952, Serial No. 289,818

6 Claims. (Cl. 292-167) which is more rapid during the early part of its disengage ment travel relative to the door frame keeper.

Another object resides in the provision of a door latch having a U-shaped handle in which the latch bolt will automatically latch with the keeper, even though the door is quickly slammed shut, thereby minimizing or eliminat ing any likelihood of the door, on which the latch is mounted, rebounding into an open or partially open position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a facile means for locking the bolt in an engaged relation with the keeper.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a latch bolt having an independent action and a bolt locking means, the independent action automatically disengaging the locking means should'the latch be unintentionally locked when the door is in open position and accidentally closed when the locking means is in such position. More specifically, this object concerns a structure which assures that a person will not accidentally lock himself out of a dwelling when using the latch mechanism forming the subject matter of this invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide a latch of this character which is compact, readily installed on any conventional type door, and which presents an attractive appearance. 7

Other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the latch in actual use, a portion of the handle being removed to show the internal construction thereof;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction of line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in the direction of line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the latch in general bears the reference numeral 10,

the latch being mounted on a door 12 which is shown fragmentarily. As is conventional, the door engages a door frame 14 when in closed position, the door frame having secured thereto a keeper 16 provided with anbpening 17, abolt engaging portion 18 and a bolt deflecting portion 19.

The door-12 has an aperture 20 extending therethrough- 4 for the accommodation of a U-shaped handle generally designated by the reference numeral 22. The handle 22 is composed of handle portions 24, 26 and an intermediate portion 28, the intermediate portion being the section ofv the handle which is actually received in the aperture 20.

On one side of the door is an escutcheon plate 30 having an aperture 32 therein of sufiicient size to permit oscillatory movement of the handle as will presently be explained in more detail. On the opposite side of the door is a casing 34 having an aperture 36 corresponding in function to. the aperture 32 of the escutcheon plate 30. Also provided in the casing 34 is an opening 38 through which a bolt 40 projects. The bolt 40 has an angledkeeper-engaging surface 42 at one end, the surface 42 being engageable with the keeper portion 19 as thedoor is closed and at the other end carries a shank section 44, the shank sectionbeing received by an opening 46 in the casing 34 of sufiicient size to permit longitudinal and rocking movement of the bolt 40 as will hereinafter be made more apparent. Encircling the shank section 44 is a spring 48 which urges the bolt 40 towards the keeper 16 Issuing at right angles to the general plane of the easing 34 is a frame 49 equipped with a pair of vertically spaced ears 50 and 51, the frame being suitably anchored to the casing 34, such as by rivet means disposed at the locations 52 and 53. A pin 54 extends through the cars 50 and 51 .and the intermediate portion 28 of the handle 22 to thereby pivotally mount said handle, and a spring 56 biases the handle 22 in one pivotal direction. Inasmuch as the cars 50 and 51 extend into the aperture 20 to its approximate center, thereby centrally locating the pin 54, it will be recognized that pivotal movementof the handle 22 will cause substantially equal movement of each handle portion 24 and 26.

Also pivotally mounted relative to the handle 22 is a link member 58, the pin 54 passing through one end ofis normally located forwardly of the center-line of the intermediate handle portion 28, and therefore is closer to the plane of the keeper 16 than is the pin 54. This arrangement results in the bolt end 42 following an arcuate path relative to the keeper 16 when the link 58"is" actuatedyas by an edge portion 61 of the opening 39 in the handle 22, when the handle is oscillated to retract the bolt 40 from the keeper 16.

A locking lever 65 is pivotallymounted to the casing 34 by means of a pivot pin 66. One end 67 of the locking lever is so disposed as to be moved into obstructive alignment with the handle 22 to thereby prevent pivotal movement of said handle. The other end of the locking lever 65 carries a cam element 68 which is simultaneously moved into the path of movement of the shank 44 when the locking end 67 is in obstructive alignment with the handle 22, the cam surface 68 being of operation of my device will be clearly understood. When the handle 22 is pivoted by a person desiring to open the door 12, the latch bolt 40 is non-linearly retracted.

by means of a portion of the handle 22 engaging the link member 58 at the locus61, thereby causing the movement of both the link member 58 and the bolt 40. However, the pivoting of the link member will cause the pin 64 to traverse an arcuate path about the pivot pin 54 which results in a combined retractional and lateral displacement of the bolt 40 relative to the bolt engaging portion 18 of the keeper 16. Because of the forwardly curved configuration of the link member 58, as seen in Fig. 1, the bolt 40 is more rapidly moved laterally from the keeper 16 in the early part of its travel and, of course, is simultaneously retracted away from the keeper longitudinally to cause disengagement between the bolt 40 and the keeper 16. Not only does this arrangement result in efiortless manipulation of the handle 22 and an appreciable reduction in wear of the bolt 4t) against the keeper portion 19, but such action also possesses the attendant advantage that any slamming or quick closing of the door 12 will cause the bolt 40 to traverse the same arcuate retractive path, as when actuated by the handle itself, this being by virtue of the angled surface 42 engaging the keeper portion 19. Since the path of travel of the bolt 40 is arcuate, the lateral displacement existent between the bolt 40 and the keeper portion 18 allows more time for the bolt 40 to engage the keeper 16 than if the bolt moved in a purely rectilinear path. Stated differently, the door 12 may rebound slightly before the angled nose of the bolt 40 would strike the keeper portion 19 and prevent latching inasmuch as there exists the aforesaid lateral displacement when the keeper has been deflected initially by the keeper portion 19 during closure of the door.

Assuming now that it is desired to lock the bolt in the position depicted in Fig. 1, the locking lever 65 is pivoted from the angled position shown in Fig. 2 to the approximately horizontal position also illustrated in this same figure. When the lever 65 is substantially horizontal, it will be seen that the locking end 67 is in direct and obstructive alignment between the handle 22 and the pivot pin 66. This dead-center relationshipwill positively preventany pivotal movement, of the handle 22 to open or disengage the bolt 40 from the keeper 16. Now, assuming that the above horizontal relationship is obtained with the door 12 in open position, the angled surface 42 of the bolt will strike the keeper portion 19 as the door 12 is closed and the engagement thereof with the angled surface 42 will result in an independent movement of the bolt 40 which causes the distal end of the shank 44 to ride over the cam surface 68 thereby deflecting the cam 68 upwardly as best seen in Fig. 2. This upward movement of the cam surface 68 causes a pivoting of the entire locking lever 65 to thereby move the locking end 67 of the lever downwardly and .out from obstructive alignment with the handle 22. This feature has a special advantagein that, should one accidentally lock the bolt 40 while the door 12 is in open position, closure of the door will not produce any jamming of the various elements comprising the latch for the bolt 40 is simply moved relative to the casing 34 to cause the above-described disengagement of. the locking end 67, and at the same time rendering it impossible for a person inadvertently to lock himself out of a building having a door equipped with this type latch.-

As many changes could be made in, the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a door latch comprising a support adapted to be mounted on a door, a handle pivotally connected to said support for pivoting movement transversely of the plane of the door, a bolt member generally parallel to the plane of the door having one end thereof guided by said support for longitudinal and rocking movement, the other end thereof being adapted to engage a keeper, and a link member having one end pivotally connected to said support and the other end pivotally connected to said bolt member intermediate the ends thereof, a portion of said handle being engageable with said link member upon pivotal movement of said handle to retract said bolt member.

2. A door latch comprising a support, a substantially U-shaped handle pivotally connected to said support for oscillatory movement at substantially right angles to said support, a bolt member extending transversely of the handle having one end thereof guided by said support for longitudinal and rocking movement, said bolt member extending through an intermediate portion of said handle and having its second end adapted to engage a keeper, and a link member having one end pivotally connected to said support and its other end pivotally connected to said bolt member at a situs normally forward of the center line of the intermediate portion of said handle, a portion of said handle being engageable with said link member upon pivotal movement of said handle to retract said bolt member.

3. A door latch comprising a support including a casing provided with an aperture therein and a pair of spaced ears, one on either side of said aperture issuing outwardly from one side of said casing, a substantially U-shaped handle received between said ears and extending through said aperture, a bolt member extending transversely of the handle having one end guided by said support for longitudinal and rocking movement, the other end being adapted to engage a keeper, a link member, a pin extending through said ears, said handle and one end of said link member to thereby mount said handle and link member for pivotal movement relative to said support, a pin extending through the other end of said link member and an intermediate portion of said bolt member thereby to pivotally connect said link and bolt members, said link member being generally normal to the path traversed by said bolt member, and a spring biasing said bolt member in one direction, a portion of said handle being engageable with said link member to move said bolt member in an opposite direction when said handle is pivoted in a direction to cause. engagement of said handle portion with said link member.

4. A door latch comprising a support, a bolt member movable relative to said support, a handle for causing movement of said bolt member in one direction, said handle being pivotally carried by said support,a spring for biasing said bolt member in the opposite direction, a look ing lever pivotally connected to said support intermediate its ends at a locus substantially in the plane. in which said handle ipvots, one end of said locking lever having an offset sloping face movable into the path of movement of said bolt member and the second end of said lever being disposed for simultaneous movement into the plane in which said handle pivots to produce arrestive engagement with said handle, whereby independent movement of said bolt member into engagement with said sloping face will cause pivoting of said locking lever and concomitant movement of said second end of the lever from the path of movement of said handle.

5. A door latch comprising a support, a handle pivotally carried by said support, a bolt member operable in one direction by said handle, a spring element urging said bolt member in an opposite direction, a locking element pivotally connected to said support intermediate its ends, said locking element being disposed for pivotal movement of one end thereof into obstructive engagement with a portion of said handle to thereby prevent movement of the handle in the direction which normally actuates said bolt member, the other end of, said locking element carrying a cam element arranged for engagement by said bolt member when said one end of the locking element is in obstructive engagement with said handle, whereby movement of said bolt member independently of said handle will cause said bolt member to defiectively engage said cam element to cause pivotal movement of said locking element and concomitant disengagement of said one end of the locking element with respect to said handle.

6. A door latch comprising a support, a handle pivotally connected to said support, a bolt member having one end thereof guided by said support for longitudinal and rocking movement, the other end thereof being adapted to engage a keeper, a link member having one end pivotally connected to said support and the other end pivotally connected to said bolt member intermediate the ends thereof, a portion of said handle being engageable with said link member upon pivotal movement of said handle to retract said bolt member, a locking lever pivotally carried by said support, said lever including one end movable into obstructive registry with said handle to' prevent movement thereof in a direction to retract said bolt membet and a cam element at the other end of the lever movable into the path of a portion of said bolt member when said one end is in said obstructive position, whereby independent movement of said bolt member toward said cam Will pivot said lever to move said one end out of obstructive registry relative to said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

